This top guy is crazy!

August 8th, 7:50 PM.

Today is the official premiere day of "Journey to the West". In the university dormitory, students crowded in front of their computers early in the morning.

The students from the next dorm were also called over: "Quick, quick! It's about to start! We have snacks here!"

On the subway and in taxis, you can see people everywhere wearing headphones and having the Lemon Video app open.

Even the number of customers in shopping malls has decreased significantly.

In the internet cafe, many internet-addicted teenagers temporarily quit the game and opened Lemon Video.

Many internet cafes also sensed the business opportunity and temporarily set up viewing areas for the premiere of "Journey to the West". The large screens and high-end machines were booked out in advance. Amidst the swirling smoke, young people gathered together, and in addition to drinks, the tables were piled high with takeout orders.

"Dude, did you reserve the machine for me? I'm coming right away, and I've brought some duck necks!"

"Brothers!"

Private cinemas and movie theaters have also held special screenings of the TV series "Journey to the West," especially in IMAX theaters. Many movie theaters have stopped showing other shows and are now showing "Journey to the West" instead. The problem is that there are still quite a few people buying tickets!

Because many viewers are looking for the ultimate audiovisual experience.

In their words, watching "Journey to the West" on a small mobile phone screen or a regular TV is simply a disservice to the 25 billion yuan investment and so many beautiful women!
Moreover, watching it online and watching it offline are different experiences, especially when there are so many like-minded people present, all of whom love "Journey to the West" and are "one of us". It's more lively and has a better atmosphere when everyone is together.

"Tickets are being checked!"

7:59!

At this moment, only one minute remained before the broadcast of "Journey to the West"!

In many family WeChat groups, a large group of people were chattering away, saying things like, "It's coming soon!", "Don't say anything!", and "Support our own culture!"

In the university dormitory, someone whispered, "The countdown is on! The countdown is on!"

In the residential square, there were far fewer elderly people dancing. Passersby chuckled and remarked, "They're all waiting to see the monkeys!"

In front of the giant screen in the movie theater, the opening advertisements ended, and darkness enveloped the entire theater.

At this very moment, across the country, millions of mobile phones, tablets, and computer screens are displaying the same image: the Lemon Video playback page!
Countless families also tuned their televisions to the four major satellite channels.

Finally, it's exactly 8 PM!

The TV series "Journey to the West" has premiered!

The opening sequence plays. "diu diu diu~"

Several crisp, lively electronic sound effects, like the clinking of jade, leaped out and instantly captured the ears of all the audience members.

Before the audience could even fully appreciate it, a magnificent melody, blending the grand performance of a symphony orchestra with the powerful pulse of electronic rhythms, surged down like a celestial river turned upside down!

"Lights—lights, lights, thuddle, thuddle, thuddle—!"

Then, the music, "Deng Deng Deng~ Deng Deng Deng~ Deng Deng Deng~ Deng Deng Deng~", kept repeating and building up layer by layer. With the addition of timpani and orchestra, the music became more and more exciting and solemn!
And accompanied by this magnificent melody, the opening sequence rapidly shifts between scenes, each frame breathtaking:

The celestial stone burst open, and golden light shot straight into the sky. A stone monkey with newly awakened spiritual eyes leaped out in a daze.
[The stone monkey's eyesight is amazing!]
[The Monkey King is born!]
[I got goosebumps!]
[Seeing this special effect, you know it's here!]
Sun Wukong, wielding his golden cudgel, cleaved the vast waves of the East Sea, causing the Dragon Palace to tremble and the shrimp soldiers and crab generals to flee in terror.
[The Dragon Palace is incredibly detailed!]
[The power is incredible!]
[Is this what a 25 billion production is like?!]
Then the Lingxiao Palace appeared in the clouds, with its glazed tiles and radiant light, and the gods stood solemnly.

[This is the Eastern mythology I've always dreamed of!]
The architectural aesthetics and cloud effects are absolutely stunning!
[The sense of oppression is overwhelming!]
Yan Gou'er, who plays Chang'e, gracefully turns her head under the cassia tree in the moon palace, her sleeves flowing lightly, exuding a cool and stunning beauty;

[Little Gou'er ahhhhhh!!!]
[It's so beautiful!]
[Amazingly beautiful!]
[The most beautiful face in the Chinese entertainment industry!]
Wen Lian's portrayal of the Queen of the Women's Kingdom is captivating; her gaze is timeless, a blend of tenderness and majesty.

[Mother!]
[Your Majesty, please look at me directly!]
[Is this level of beauty and charisma even real?!]
[I'm definitely going to cry buckets during the Daughter Kingdom scene!]
[The ultimate in classical beauty!]
Cheng Cheng's portrayal of Yang Jian features a divine light emanating from his third eye on his forehead, clashing with Sun Wukong's sword and staff. The special effects of this clash of light and shadow are top-notch.

[Holy crap, Erlang Shen!]
[So cool!]
[The scene I've been most looking forward to!]
Then, the chilling white bones transformed by the White Bone Demon, the blazing flames spewed by Red Boy, and the eerie cave of the Spider Demon—all sorts of demons, monsters, and bizarre scenes flash by, leaving the viewer breathless.

[The special effects are gorgeous!]
[Even the monsters are good-looking!]
Finally, the scene freezes on the setting sun over the long river, showing the resolute backs of the four travelers walking towards the distant sacred mountain. At the same time, three large vermilion characters slowly appear on the screen:

Journey to the West!!!
At this moment, the live chat exploded!

[Investiture of the Gods! Investiture of the Gods!]
[I cried! I don't know why, the tears just wouldn't stop flowing!]
[Me too. This is probably the ultimate fantasy of every Tianxia person, something hidden in our bones, but now Cheng Cheng has brought it to life!]
[Just watching the opening credits, I knew it was there! It really was there!]
[Epic! This is what you call epic!]
[Everyone stand up! (Voice cracks)]
[This is only the opening credits of the first episode! I'm already done for!]
This short two-minute opening sequence delivered an unparalleled shock to the audience.
They expected it to be amazing. With Cheng Cheng's skill, there was absolutely no need to worry. He would definitely bring everyone an unprecedented audio-visual feast. But they didn't expect it to be this amazing!

The special effects, the stage design, the costumes, the overall quality—it's absolutely amazing!

Those within the industry feel it even more strongly!
They watched the opening sequence of "Journey to the West" as if it were an alien artifact!
Leaving aside the technological gap, what's even more frightening is the gap in aesthetics and production quality!

The opening 'diu diu diu' sound effect immediately establishes the spiritual and fantastical tone, and the female humming in the middle adds a touch of compassion and melancholy to the grand music!
The use of cinematic language is breathtaking!
Mythology, majesty, poignant beauty, coolness, eeriness, tragedy—so many elements are crammed into a single opening sequence, yet it doesn't feel out of place at all. Instead, they build upon each other, ultimately converging into the silhouettes of the four protagonists against the setting sun.

The director's aesthetic control behind this is terrifying.

Many industry insiders feel hopeless:

We still don't know how big the gap is between us and mythology!

Then, after the opening credits, the title of the first season appeared on the screen:

The Monkey King's First Appearance!
The real story has only just begun! (End of Chapter)